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Palau Güell

So I only saw two houses in the Block of Discord collection. You know, the only two houses that were right next to each other?

The third house that I saw was a humongous mansion, designed by yours truly, Antoni Gaudí. It’s not part of the Block of Discord as it’s not located on Passeig de Gràcia, but on a narrow street just off of La Rambla. It was, seriously, just right across the street from my hotel, like a two minute walk.

The house was designed for Gaudí’s good friend and patron, the wealthy industrialist and the same guy who owned Park Güell, Eusebi Güell. Although the place is much darker and edgier than any of Gaudí’s work, it’s not sinister nor gloomy. If anything, it still possesses that same whimsical, quirky quality that is very much Gaudí. All over the house, from the stables’ entry way to every doorway and even the shape of the central hall, you’ll find Gaudí’s signature pointy arches everywhere. Lots of unusual passages and most of the rooms had a window looking right into the central hall. And if you look up at the very high, three to four-story ceiling on the main floor in the central hall, you’ll find a dark dome speckled with small holes, resembling a starlit night sky. Almost like a mini observatory. Pretty spiffy. Because of that, this is by far my favorite house. Dark, mysterious, but also quirky and whimsical.

I should also mention that when I visited this house, I was very much under the influence of some pretty strong MSG. That lunch I had must’ve been loaded with it because I was so out of it when I saw this place. Added a dreamy quality to it which I actually kinda like, but not really.

Anyway, It was because of this house that I discovered that I actually love Art Nouveau. I hate Art Deco (thanks a lot, Ayn Rand!), but I LOVE Art Nouveau. Anyway, Ima start a GoFundMe to buy this house. Wish me luck.